Mass searches in Crimea again. Eight Crimean Tatars detained

10 June 2019,
17:37

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Today, on June 10, in the Russian-annexed Crimea security forces conducted mass searches in the houses of the Crimean Tatars in the city of Alushta and its environs, as well as in the Bilohirsk and Simferopol districts.

According to the public association Crimean Solidarity, at least eight people were detained: Ruslan Nagayev, Eldar Kantemirov (both from Alushta), Ruslan Mesutov (the village of Maly Mayak near Alushta), Lenur Khalilov (the village of Izobilne near Alushta), Eskender Suleymanov (the village of Strohonivka in Simferopol district, brother of political prisoner Ruslan Suleymanov, arrested during mass searches in March 2019), Riza Omerov and his father Enver Omerov (Bilohirsk), as well as Ayder Dzhepparov (Zuya, Bilohirsk District).

Reportedly, during the search the wife of Riza Omerov, went into premature labour due to the experienced stress.

According to recent reports, she is to be delivered by air medical service to the perinatal center of the city of Simferopol. At the moment she is in the Bilohirsk maternity hospital, where she was taken by ambulance from her home, which was searched. Doctors check the condition of the child and mother. The life of the child is threatened, since the hospital has no conditions for birth attendance at such an early stage.

In the morning, Riza Omerov’s sister and father Fatma Ismailova and Enver Omerov were stopped by road police on their way to the Russian city Rostov-on-Don, where the hearing in the “Hizb ut-Tahrir case” was held. At the moment, Enver Omer is detained. Fatma Ismailova is the wife of Rustem Ismailov person involved in the “Hizb ut-Tahrir case” (“the first Simferopol group”).

Enver Omerov experienced coronary symptoms during his detention, according to his daughter Fatma Ismailova. She said that, at night they were kept for about three hours at the traffic police post at the entrance to the Kerch bridge.

They checked the documents, then asked for phones, ask for IMEI codes. Father gave his, I began to ask on what basis. They made us understand that if we refuse, they will hold us for a long time. We told the codes. Father became ill, had the heart episode, he was very pale, he got tongue-tied. I immediately called an ambulance, – Fatma Ismailova told.

On March 27-28, the FSB conducted mass searches, detentions and arrests in the occupied Crimea in Simferopol and its suburbs, the Bilohirsk and Krasnohvardiisky districts, as well as in the Rostov region of Russia. As a result, Russian security officials sent 25 Crimean Tatars to the detention centre on suspicion of organizing and participating in a terrorist organization.